Some of you may remember the last compilation of short stories edited by Stephanie Meyer, "My True Love Gave to Me," which included 12 short stories based around the winter holidays. This book, "Summer Days and Summer Nights" is Stephanie's newly edited compilation of stories by a different set of authors, based in the summer time (surprised?).

"Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" by Leigh Bardugo

Gracie is stuck in Little Spindle, the small town counterpart of Greater Spindle, spending her summer

Initially, this story started out a little confusing with some details sloppily included and unclear in their meaning. However, once you got into the story and past the back story, the story began to fold out clearly. Although I thought the story was sweet, I believed it to be moderately underdeveloped and rushed. Characters had minimal development, and the story panned out in jagged stagnated parts that didn't flow smoothly. I understand that the true story took place in each consecutive summer of Gracie's life, however I feel that Bardugo could have tried a little harder to make the tail (hahahaha get the pun?) flow better. Although character development remained a little weak, I did enjoy reading about Gracie's anxiety. Being someone who also deals with anxiety, I really related with the descriptions of Gracie's condition, ("hot knot of tension she always seemed to be carrying beneath her ribs..." (pg. 18)).

"The End of Love" by Nina Lacour

I quite enjoyed Lacour's addition to this novel, her story was intricately crafted with simplistic yet beautiful descriptions and diction. The way the story took place in the present yet included elements from the past woven in throughout the plot kept the reader guessing and interested. I especially loved the setting Lacour managed to depict while Flora was camping, "We could hurl ourselves into the ocean with just one push of our limbs, but it also feels safer, more peaceful, than any place has felt for a very long time." And, one of the elements I also particularly enjoyed was Flora's battle with her feelings and coping with her parents' divorce (yet another thing I can relate with), "My chest constricts, and my stomach clenches, and I can practically hear Jessica telling me to give these feelings a voice." Although I think this story is pretty well-rounded, I still feel as if it's missing something (or maybe I'm just not used to short stories...?).

"Last Stand at the Cinegore" by Libba Bray

Mind you, I'm writing most of these reviews immediately after I finished reading the story, so most of these will be first impressions. My impression for this story was that it was extremely, extremely, strange. For obvious reasons it was strange (the whole strong paranormal element), but it was unusual in its composition as well. At first, I thought I was going to like it. The beginning was funny, well put together, and left the reader genuinely appreciating each of the characters. However, by the end, I was reading with my brow furrowed pondering some of the actions the characters took. (Spoiler ahead) I mean, a whole movie theatre with people (or who had initially been people) burned to the ground with everyone (besides the main characters) inside it, and yet the main characters were taking pictures of the scene and making out in cars? It just doesn't make sense to me. I was fairly disappointed by this one, sorry Libba.

"Sick Pleasure" by Francesca Lia Block

I initially thought that I wouldn't enjoy this one too much because of the peculiarly blunt writing style and having the character being named after single letters(?). And even until the last page I was doubting the chance of a good review for this story. However, the last page was a surprise, and a good one at that. Block wrote an honest story that didn't try to sugarcoat life and love. I also liked how it showed that even a short relationship with someone can truly impact you. And remember, "Words will be the answer. They always were."

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins

Now this was the short story that I was waiting for, thank you Stephanie Perkins (you never let me down). The setting was beautiful, the characters were well-developed, you actually understood what was going on (always a plus), and nothing seemed unrealistic to me. Not only did the characters and their relationship seem genuine, but they were also funny. The ending left me smiling, which is the typical effect a Stephanie Perkins novel has on me.

Star rating: 4.5/5 StarsOverall Ranking: 2ndStrengths: Character and relationship developmentWeaknesses: Can she turn this into a book?

Souvenirs by Tim Federle

Honestly, this was my first gay relationship story I've ever read and I think it was really, really cute. I loved the contrast between the spunky, outspoken, thespian Kieth and the quiet, introverted, quirky Matt, and seeing how they both respected and appreciated each other. And, even if Kieth couldn't say the word love, it was clear that he did in fact love Matt (even with the expiration date on their relationship). "Souvenirs" was well-rounded with a well-developed plot and interesting characters, even if I did think the break-up seemed a little too easy.

Inertia by Veronica Roth

Well, this was different. But, I've decided, different in a good way. This story actually effectively made me feel the emotions that the characters were feeling in the tale, and I found myself holding my breath a few times. Even though I thought that the "Last Visitation" futuristic element was a little odd, I thought it was a clever way to convey what Roth needed the reader to understand in only a short amount of pages. I like how real the characters seemed, with Claire's depression and quirky nature and Matt's grief. Although, I do think the ending was a little cliche and predictable.

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron

Yeah, I didn't really like this one. I thought it had a lot of potential with the setting and the spunky characters but the writing style was strange and off-putting. Not to mention the fact that everything fell into place so easily and perfectly with all the to-be couples coming together in a matter of two pages. Also, no one talks in the way a lot of the characters were conversing. So, yeah. Strange.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert

This was a well-rounded story by Colbert. The characters were different and refreshing and the story itself dealt with a variety of issues (grief, abandonment, accepting change, etc). I enjoyed the depth that each of the characters had and the complex relationship each character had with one-another. It's amazing how much complexity Colbert was able to achieve in such a short amount of pages. Would recommend.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare

At this point, I'm regretting doing individual reviews for each of these. So, I'm going to shorten them just a tad. So, to the review. Overall this was interesting as it dealt with an "evil" amusement park run by a demon (does Cassandra know how to write a story that doesn't involve demons?). The creepy amusement park allowed for a refreshing setting unique from your typical summer romance at the beach. I liked that sense it involved fantastical elements you couldn't easily predict what was going to happen and I really enjoyed the presence of a villain. Although I thought this was a pretty good story, I thought Cassandra could've let us see Lulu and Lucas' relationship develop a little more than we did.

"A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong" by Jennifer E. Smith

This story was my favorite. I'll admit, the characters weren't too developed but the promise of each character's complexity were there with details and nuances spread throughout the story. What really made me love this story was the struggle for Griffin to get passed thinking of his Aspergers as something that makes him incapable of being liked in the way that Annie did. Their relationship wasn't perfect but it was still very feel-good and I was left smiling and anticipating the next progression in their relationship throughout the whole story.

Star rating: 4.5/5 StarsOverall Ranking: 1st Strengths: Highlighting character flaws and relationship development ​Weaknesses: Character development

"The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" by Lev Grossman

Okay. So this was a solid short stories with an interesting plot and cool characters, but it felt kind of bland for me. I'm not sure what could've been added so that the story was spiced up a little bit, maybe better relationship development between Margaret and Mark. The search for "perfect things" was really cute though and Margaret's character was developed really well with the mystery surrounding her and her working past her mother's cancer. The best part of the story was the ending which was both powerful and heart-warming.

Top Three Favorite Quotes (in no particular order)

"And then it begins: the sound of unzipping, from the ground on one side, and up, and up, and down again. I close my eyes even though it's already dark, because of this sound. It's like my life opening up. And then it stops. And we climb in," from The End of Love by Lina Lacour

"​Part of my soul detached and tried to follow A, but it slammed into the closed door like an alcoholic or a dazed, wounded animal and collapsed onto the ground," from Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block

"I was more comfortable just watching antics like these, turning them into a myth in my mind, a legend. I watched life so that I could find the story inside it-- it helped me make sense of things," from Inertia by Veronica Roth

Overall, I liked Stephanie's other compilation of short stories, "My True Love Gave to Me," better than this edition. I thought the other compilation had stories that were more creative and entrancing. Because of some of the stories in this novel that were subpar (putting it lightly) I gave the novel a 3/5 Stars on Goodreads.

-Paige Jones xx

Sooo I may or may not have spent the last hour and a half scouring a million book blogs for the perfect tag to do for you today (while watching Parks and Rec of course). And finally, after watching Ron Swanson complain about the government a hundred times I found this little gem way down in the depths of mylittlebookblog.com. So without further ado... let's get to answering these questions.

1. Would you rather.. Drop your favorite book into the toilet OR watch it fall into a wood chipper?Both would be devastating, but I think having my book getting water damage would do a lot less harm to my soul than watching it get chopped into a million pieces before my eyes. Plus, blow drying a book would take less time than taping a book back together piece by piece.

2. Would you rather... Read only one book a year but remember everything OR read one hundred books a year but remember nothing?I would not be able to survive if I only got to read one book a year, unless someone put all the books in the world together into one book? Since, to my knowledge, such a book does not exist, I'll have to go with the hundred books a year.

3. Would you rather... Read only the first page of a book OR read only the last page of a book? Oh my, this is a tough question. But, I think I'll go with the last page of a book because then I can come up with my own story that led up to the ending. Although, I suppose I could do that with the first page of a book as well....

4. Would you rather get locked in a library OR get locked in a bookstore? BOOKSTORE BOOKSTORE BOOKSTORE. I LOVE new books and I would explore and explore and read and read and read some more. Plus, if they accidentally locked me in the store I might be able to sue them for the money to buy all the books I found...

5. Would you rater.... Drop your book in a lake OR accidentally set it on fire? AGH. WHY? But lake. Because again, you can come back from water damage.

6. Would you rather... Read a book with a cliffhanger ending OR read a book with a heartbreaking ending? Humph, this is a thinker. I'm going to go with cliffhanger and just hope for a sequel. Plus, I become attached to my characters and wouldn't want to have to go through grief therapy if I lost one of them during said "heartbreaking ending."

7. Would you rather... Have the book's ending spoiled OR never know what happens? I hate being spoiled but I think I'm going to have to go with that one because I would be forever in peril wondering what would've occurred.

8. Would you rather... read only one genre forever OR never repeat the same genre after reading it once? One book for each genre? I'm bound to run out of genres at one point and I'm not about to live without my fantasy. So, one genre forever.

9. Would you rather... Read a book where the main character is killed off OR read a book where the love interest is killed off? Can I go with neither? No? Oh my. I think I'm going to have to go with main character because I don't want to read about their lives without each other. Plus, there is no way that I'm going to let Rowan die.

10. Would you rather... Read a book that's missing the middle chapter OR read a book that's missing the first and last chapters? Middle chapter. I'll read the first and last and come up with what I thought came in the middle.

11. Would you rather... Love a book everyone hates OR hate a book everyone loves?Honestly I don't really care either way. But I think I'll go with love a book everyone hates because then the characters are all miiiiiiiine. MUWHAHAHAHAHA.

12. Would you rather... Loan a book to a friend who's known to ruin books OR drop a book in a pit of snakes? I'll loan the book to my friend and threaten them enough so that they will be forced to treat the book like a princess.

13. Would you rather... Be stuck on a deserted island without a book OR be stuck in a library full of books in a language you can't read? Do you really think I'm about to go on a freaking island with no books? Put me in the library. I'll learn the language.

14. Would you rather... Bring only one book on a twelve hour flight OR bring an e-reader with only 10% left on a four hour flight? Having my electronics on low battery is something that really stresses me out, so I'll just bring a really long book on a twelve hour flight.

15. Would you rather... Find out your best friend hates your favorite book OR share a favorite book with your worst enemy?Umm I don't want my worst enemy to love my characters. So I'll go with the best friend hating my favorite book.

Alrighty, that book tag was actually pretty fun to do, although some of the questions were a little tough. Did you disagree with any of my decisions? Let's debate in the comments (; . See you tomorrow for We Need to Talk Wednesday!!!!

- Paige Jones xx

So I've been exploring other book blogs as of late, now that I'm back in the swing of things and absolutely obsessed with everything books (as one should be). And I've noticed that a lot of the other bloggers have their sites on Wordpress. So here's my question... Do you think I should recreate my blog on Wordpress? Help me out by responding in the poll below. Thank you !

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!

In honor of this amazing day in the dead of summer, for today's rendition of Maybe you'll like... Monday I will be recommending FOUR (for the FOURTH of July) contemporaries. Who doesn't love a good contemporary while they're lounging by the beach or lying by the pool under the sun? While I recommend each book, you might notice that not all of them have five stars, but I chose to put each of these books on the list for unique reasons. I hope I help you find your next read(: So without further ado...

Maybe you'll like...

1. The Way I Used To Be by Amber SmithBrief Synopsis: Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn't change who she was. But the night her brother's best friend rapes her, Eden's world capsizes. Follow Eden as she struggles with trust, love, friendship, and dealing with the secret that slowly swallows Eden up. Unique Features: Told in four parts throughout Eden's high school experience (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior year), extreme character growth, the book handles gut wrenching issues.Goodreads rating: 4.10/5 StarsMy rating: 4/5 stars Warning: Chances are, you'll cry. Rape is a very intense topic and this book was very very heavy. 2. Landline by Rainbow Rowell Goodreads Synopsis: Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply- but that seems beside the point now. Maybe that was always beside the point. Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her-- Neal is always a little upset with Georgie-- but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts... Is that what's she's supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?Unique Features: Has a twinge of fantasy mixed in, the character and relationship development is outstanding. Honestly, this book was put together perfectly and I loved everything about the characters and the plot. Goodreads rating: 3.55/ 5 Stars My rating: 5/5 Stars ​3. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay Goodreads Synopsis: Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her-- her identity, her spirit, her will to live--pay. Josh Bennett's story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is to be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won't go away until she's insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she's been hiding-- or if he even wants to. Unique Features: Honestly, everything about this book is absolutely flawless. The diction is superb, the character and relationship development is perfect, and the whole time you're trying to figure out Nastya's mystery. Goodreads Rating: 4.37/5 StarsMy rating: 5/5 StarsWarning: Yet again, this book is very heavy.Fun fact: I've read this book twice. 4. Made You Up by Francesca Zappia Brief Synopsis: Alex, now a high school senior, goes through daily life unable to tell reality from delusion. Then, Alex meets Miles, and before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing the life of a teenager. But, how will her mental condition hinder her attempt at being "normal?"Unique Features: The main character cannot tell what is real and what isn't, therefore, neither do we. It's a crazy ride trying to figure out what is really happening, and what our very unreliable narrator is making up.Goodreads Rating: 4.11/ 5 Stars My rating: 4/5 Stars

I hope you all enjoyed the first Maybe you'll like... Monday! See you tomorrow for Tag Tuesday(: Comment any other contemporaries that you think we'll like!

- Paige Jones xx

Firstly, I would like to state the fact that I stayed up ALL night to finish Queen of Shadows (literally, I went to sleep at 6:00 a.m.), and now I have to wait until SEPTEMBER until the next book in the series comes out. I could not be more upset about not having contact with Rowan until then. Honestly, I believe that one day Rowan, the glorious faerie prince, will cause me to spontaneously combust. And yes, you can expect a review on the first four Throne of Glass books soon.

Anyway, I believe it's time to inform you of my current reads.

Today, I will be picking up The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson immediately after finishing this post (it's waiting idly next to me). I think it's time for a nice contemporary after binge reading the high action and fantasy Throne of Glass ​series for the past week. Synopsis in seven words: Politician dad has scandal, alters Andie's reality. Goodreads rating: 4.17 Why did I choose to read this? Good reviews, and I remember enjoying Morgan Matson's other book, Since You've Been Gone. ​Predicted star rating: 3.75/ 5 Stars

I might also begin reading Summer Days and Summer Nights today which is a compilation of short stories by twelve acclaimed authors (including Cassandra Clare, Veronica Roth, and Libba Bray), edited by Stephanie Perkins. Synopsis in seven words: Twelve summer love stories by amazing authors.Goodreads rating: 3.60Why did I choose to read this? Because I absolutely loved Stephanie Perkins' last compilation of short stories, My True Love Gave to Me. And who doesn't love some sweet summer romance stories? Predicted star rating: 4/5 Stars ​

So here I was on this beautiful Friday afternoon, trying to find something to write about for my first Free Write Friday. Shall I write a short story? A poem? A possible interaction between two characters from different series? I found my answer on mylittlebookblog.com ... the book blogger test(: So without further ado, let the test begin.

What are your top three book pet hates? 1. When there are too many POVs the author switches between (especially when the author favors a point of view I don't particularly enjoy). 2. Chapters that are too long, one after another. I need good stopping places so I can update my progress on goodreads!!!3. When authors arrange dialogue in a confusing way, making it hard to tell who is saying what.

Describe your perfect Reading Spot I can make any spot a reading spot, but my ideal reading spot is at my grandparents' lake house. Lying on the large white rope hammock, lulling back and forth underneath the twin trees with sunlight trickling through the brilliant green leaves. And, of course, the waves lapping against the rocks that line their property.

Three Book Confessions 1. Out of all of Rick Riordan's books, I've only read the first of the Percy Jackson series. Please don't hurt me. 2. I buy entire book series without even reading the first one yet, based on amazing reviews on BookTube and Goodreads. 3. I fall in love with male characters very, very, quickly. I'm pretty sure I was infatuated with Rowan within the first three scenes he appeared in in Heir of Fire.

When was the Last Time You Cried During a Book?

In the past week, I have been binge reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (I'm currently on the fourth, Queen of Shadows, in case you were wondering), and I believe the last time I cried in this series was during Crown of Midnight.

How Many Books are on your Bedside Table?Two. Queen of Shadows (of course (; ), and a riveting read on the American Colonies (can you tell I like history?).

What is your Favorite Snack to Eat while Reading?​I find it hard to eat and read at the same time, as I get distracted by the food and end up losing my place on the page I'm reading. But I do like drinking coffee while reading (black with two sugars please).

Name Three Books you Would Recommend to Everyone1. The entire Harry Potter series, obviously. And yes, there are people who have not read it yet (muggles these days, am I right?).2. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, so intricate, so mysterious. 3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, so many genres in one beautifully wrapped book.

Show us a Picture of your Favorite Bookshelf on your BookcaseHow about I just post a picture of my whole bookshelf later today?

Write How Much Books Mean to you in just Three WordsMy whole life.

What is your Biggest Reading Secret?I used to hate Harry Potter and was afraid of it (these were my dark ages). This was a time before I read the books, when the movies were coming out, and I took one look at the Chamber of Secrets on the TV in my family room, saw gigantic spiders and wrote Harry Potter off until I fell in love with the books several years later.

I hope you enjoyed reading the first post of this wonderful summer month(: I'll be uploading a currently reading update and some other posts over the weekend so stay tuned. See you back on Monday for the first Maybe you'll like... Monday!